Not making hay this year

[tex452]

I have decided not to make hay this year on my meadows.
We will be using them to precondition calves. My meadows are cross fenced where I can rotate them.
I have some hay left from last year and will buy more for the winter if needed.
With the high cost of everything we are going in a different direction, we’re going to graze the hay fields and try to get some gain out of it instead of spending the money baling it.
It might work better?

 

[TexasRancher]

For Texas, I can see you coming out ahead...using a few paddocks-meadows for late fall into winter-spring forage. I have a preserved fall field I put them on only a few times during mid summer-fall....and then in the winter to reduce buying hay. It works. I think I would end up spending more too if i paid someone to cut and bail that field..versus, buying some hay late-deep into winter. Standing fields with cattle walking on them- droppings- carbon being put back in...it's money into your land- fertilizer.

 

[ClinchValley86]

It a sections gets ahead of your animals, my vote is to bale it up.

I've not baled here in 4 years now. Best decision we could have made.

 

[Stocker Steve]

It might work better?

Might.
Depends mostly on hay cost and VOG.
What is current delivered cost for your purchased hay?

 

[tex452]

Might.
Depends mostly on hay cost and VOG.
What is current delivered cost for your purchased hay?

It all depends if we hire or haul it ourselves.
If it’s too expensive we won’t winter many.
Even at last year’s expenses I could have bought hay for more or less for what I had in it.
We don’t make our own hay we hire it out

 

[tex452]

For Texas, I can see you coming out ahead...using a few paddocks-meadows for late fall into winter-spring forage. I have a preserved fall field I put them on only a few times during mid summer-fall....and then in the winter to reduce buying hay. It works. I think I would end up spending more too if i paid someone to cut and bail that field..versus, buying some hay late-deep into winter. Standing fields with cattle walking on them- droppings- carbon being put back in...it's money into your land- fertilizer.

We have green grass from March to November a lot of years.

 

[Ky hills]

I had always had a pasture left off to cut for hay at least once and sometimes twice before turning cattle in. Last year we went on and grazed it which allowed us to rotate a bit more and extend the grazing a bit. It cost more to buy it but we can run a few more by doing it that way.

 

[shaz]

There's also something to be said for giving your hayfield a year off.

 

[Stocker Steve]

It all depends on if we hire or haul it ourselves.

Hauling hay is part of the hay cost, regardless if who does it.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Because a lot of haying costs are per acre, the tonnage per acre becomes very important to the hay cost per ton. One low input way to work this is the old one good yielding grassy cut, and then graze later in the season, system.

When I ran some numbers this winter my breakeven was a little over 3 tons per acre. Lower yields than that suggest I should look at buying in hay, or sell more cows Higher yields than than suggest I should generate a profit making hay.

 

[BFE]

I think Steve studies his lesson every night.

 

[tex452]

Hauling hay is part of the hay cost, regardless if who does it.

Hauling hay is part of the hay cost, regardless if who does it.

This is true, but if I haul it myself I will save a little money.
I know there’s wear n tear on vehicles but the cost seems to double if I hire it out.

 

[tex452]

I might change my mind and make a cut.

 

[Stocker Steve]

The talking heads have recently gotten conviction that "high" grain prices for the next two to three years. Logically hay and hay input prices will follow this trend. I don't see any easy solution for beef producers here - - but I would take the time to recalculate the fertility value of a ton of hay.

 

[ClinchValley86]

The talking heads have recently gotten conviction that "high" grain prices for the next two to three years. Logically hay and hay input prices will follow this trend. I don't see any easy solution for beef producers here - - but I would take the time to recalculate the fertility value of a ton of hay.

Absolutely!